The project, scripted by Rob Moreland and Athena Gam, transforms the Oz narrative into a contemporary, freaky action-packed PG-13 audience pleaser, with Dorothy caught up in a whirlwind of warrior witches, black magic, martial arts and monsters.

"Oz Wars is an animated action-adventure story, but unlike most animated films, it's not just for kids," said Johnson in a statement. "The Land of Oz will be re-imagined using stop-motion to create a world that's dark, slick, sexy, and dangerous. It's long been a goal of mine to create a hard-hitting, grown-up action film using stop-motion animation. Oz Wars' is my opportunity to do that."

"We all think Oz Wars is a wildly original and commercial project that will thrill and astonish audiences. Additionally, due to revolutionary new stop-motion software, Mike will be making this world-class quality film at an unprecedentedly economical cost point," added John Williams, President and CEO of Vanguard Films.